"Yes," Shen Nian agreed, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she felt a stinging pain on her scalp.
"Tch--" She sucked in a breath of cool air.
The temperature of the hairdryer was a bit high. Earlier, when Lu Lingchuan was speaking to her, the nozzle of the hairdryer had been blowing continuously at one spot, burning her.
Shen Nian put down the hairdryer, one hand touching her head.
But even before she could, a large hand covered her black hair, gently massaging the spot where she had been burned.
"..." Shen Nian looked at the man in slight surprise.
Lu Lingchuan, however, did not look at her, only staring intently at her head, his handsome face solemn.
He was showing concern for her, yet avoiding eye contact.
His other slender hand took the hairdryer from the side, one hand supporting her slightly damp tresses, holding the hairdryer about two or three decimeters away, a distance where the hot air could be felt but would not burn.
He helped Shen Nian blow-dry her hair.
In truth, one can discern a person's true character from many small details in the way they speak and act. Lu Lingchuan's movements were gentle, using his slender fingers to comb through her hair, ensuring he didn't tug painfully, as if he were well-practiced in such tasks.
The hot wind from the hairdryer was so warm, blowing on her in a way that made Shen Nian feel drowsy, almost as if she had returned to the past.
Lu Lingchuan used to help her blow-dry her hair often back then.
Lu Lingchuan held a lock of her dark hair as he blow-dried it, his brows furrowed in concentration. Whenever he set his mind to something, he would fully dedicate himself to accomplishing it without distraction.
Shen Nian knew this quirk of his, which is why she allowed herself to stare intently at his face.
It may sound a bit implausible, but... the Lu Lingchuan from before was a very gentle person.
He was like Xiao Mubai, gentle, chivalrous, and respectful towards others.
He was a filial son, a responsible elder brother, and a devoted boyfriend.
The relationship between the Lu siblings had always been good. Lu Lingrui was very clingy with her brother, and as long as Lu Lingrui did not act unreasonably, Lu Lingchuan would indulge her.
Ever since... the dual tragedies of Lu Lingrui's incident and passing, Lu Lingchuan seemed to have become a different person. His former gentleness and patience had vanished, replaced by a complete change in temperament.
Because he cared so deeply, he found it difficult to accept the fact that the person he cared about was no longer around.
Moreover... Lu Lingchuan had witnessed Lu Lingrui's last breaths right before his eyes.
The girl who used to laugh so cheerfully now lay bloodied and lifeless in the ambulance. Seeing Lu Lingchuan on the verge of a breakdown, she mustered her strength to smile and raise her hand, trying to comfort him.
In the end, she never managed to form that smile.
After that, the gentle Lu Lingchuan was no more, replaced by a volatile and mercurial man.
Shen Nian stared at Lu Lingchuan, lost in thought.
Even she herself could no longer discern her feelings towards him.
Lu Lingchuan, do you know?
It seems like I'm giving up on you, yet it also feels like I'm waiting for you.
These two opposing thoughts occupied equal halves of a spinning wheel, leaving Shen Nian unable to tell which one she truly wanted.
Life is a constant stream of choices.
Living... is truly exhausting.
...
The next day, the two woke up early and went to the company for a meeting.
Shen Nian had initially thought that this business trip would only involve her and Lu Lingchuan, but to her surprise, Lu Lingchen and two other company managers were also present.
The Lingrui Group aimed to secure a particular project. While the profits from the project itself were of little concern to Lu Lingchuan, he had his eyes set on the connections of the potential business partner.
Word had it that the partner had many friends in politics. Lu Lingchuan planned to intentionally give them some benefits, so they would remember his kindness. This would allow Lu Lingchuan to naturally establish a connection with them. Once they became acquainted, Lu Lingchuan would then have an opportunity to take advantage of their political connections.
There were five people going on this business trip, and plane tickets had already been booked. After the meeting concluded, they quickly gathered their belongings and rushed to catch their flight.
Two cars were needed for the five of them. Naturally, Shen Nian and Lu Lingchuan rode in one car, as Shen Nian was Lu Lingchuan's assistant. The other two were Manager Yu and Deputy Manager Chen, who were in charge of this project, so they took the other car.
Shen Nian went ahead to get the car started. As she was about to turn on the engine, Lu Lingchen leaned against the car door and raised an eyebrow at her.
"Assistant Shen, long time no see," he said with a smirk.
Shen Nian had lowered the window as soon as she got into the car, giving Lu Lingchen the opportunity to act cocky as he stuck his head inside.
"..." Shen Nian gave him an irritated glance before averting her gaze, unwilling to spare him even a single look.
"Hey, Sister Nian, that's not very nice," Lu Lingchen complained. "Didn't you always send me a message before coming to the hospital? And didn't I always let you know?"
To avoid accidentally running into the Lu family, Shen Nian would send a message to Lu Lingchen before going to the hospital, and if there were any issues, he would message her not to come.
His head was now protruding into the car, extremely close to Shen Nian.
So, Shen Nian casually gave him a light tap on the head. "You little brat, you're not even that old, but you've already learned to threaten people."
"Ow!" Lu Lingchen clutched his head in protest. "You hit so hard, do you really hate me that much? Don't forget that there are only five of us going this time, an odd number. If you bully me again, I'll stick to my brother like glue, teaming up with him and leaving you out!"
Shen Nian: "..." You really have a way with threats, don't you?
In the past, Lu Lingrui often bullied Lu Lingchen, and he would go crying to Lu Lingchuan. Back then, Shen Nian had always felt sorry for Lu Lingchen, the youngest sibling, a poor soul unloved by his father and mother, ganged up on by his elder brother and sister.
But now, looking at him again, it's no wonder he was bullied. He just asks for it with his constant whining.
Just as he finished speaking, a chill ran down Lu Lingchen's spine, causing him to shiver.
"Mr. Lu," Shen Nian said, nodding towards the person behind him.
Lu Lingchen turned around to see Lu Lingchuan standing behind him, one hand in his pocket, expressionless, with no indication of when he had arrived.
"..." Startled, Lu Lingchen still managed to call out, "Brother."
Yet Lu Lingchuan didn't even spare him a glance, his gaze fixed on Shen Nian. "You, get out."
He was addressing Shen Nian.
Shen Nian hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Yes, Mr. Lu."
With that, she unbuckled her seatbelt and exited the car.
Watching his brother's demeanor, it seemed clear that he was targeting Shen Nian. Lu Lingchen suddenly realized that his brother must have been standing there for a while and had likely overheard his conversation with Shen Nian.
Unsurprisingly, it appeared that his brother was now taking his side by backing him up.
With this realization, Lu Lingchen straightened his back, about to say something, when Lu Lingchuan gave him a casual glance. "You, get in."
"Oh." Without a second thought, Lu Lingchen did as his brother instructed and got into the car.
After closing the door and fastening his seatbelt, he stared directly at Lu Lingchuan once more.
